His number's up: The school-run coach driver sacked after being photographed doing a SUDOKU at the wheel

Responsible for getting dozens of pupils to school safely, he should have been concentrating on the road ahead.

But, as the shocking photograph above reveals, this bus driver was in fact far too busy completing a Sudoku puzzle at the wheel to give the job his full attention.

The unidentified driver has been sacked after one of his young passengers took this picture of him completing the number game while transporting a bus full of children, aged between nine and 16, through early morning rush hour traffic.

Dangerous: This picture, taken by a pupil on a mobile phone, shows the driver balancing a puzzle book on his steering wheel as the bus drives along the road

The 12-year-old pupil, who took the photograph on his mobile phone, said the driver was filling in the answers inside the puzzle book, which was resting on the steering wheel.

The boy’s mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘When I saw the photo I was really shocked.

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‘Not only was he driving, he also had children on the coach and was responsible for their safety.

‘My son was on that bus and the safety of the children has got to come first. He said the driver had his pen out and his head down while the coach was moving, doing Sudoku. It was in traffic so it probably wasn’t at a high speed, but it was definitely moving.’

She said the school and coach company ‘were both horrified’ when they saw the picture, adding: ‘We’re absolutely satisfied with the outcome – both the coach company and the school responded very quickly and efficiently.’

Sacked: The unidentified driver has now been dismissed by the coach firm Cavendish Liner Coach Company after his employers saw the photo

School-run: The driver had been transporting a bus full of pupils aged nine to 16 to Ferndown Upper and Middle schools in Dorset, pictured

The driver was dismissed by Cavendish Liner Coach Company after his employers were shown the photograph, taken as he was transporting pupils to Ferndown Upper and Middle schools in Dorset.

Gary Bulgin, director of operations at Cavendish Liners, said: ‘There was an incident with a driver and that driver has since left the employment of the company.

‘We take children’s safety very seriously and we were horrified when we saw the photos.’

Cindy Lalani, business manager of Ferndown Upper School, said the school would continue to use Cavendish coaches.

She said: ‘[The bus company] dealt with it immediately and we are completely satisfied with the way they did this.’

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Caught on camera (and then sacked) The school-run coach driver spotted doing a SUDOKU at the wheel